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The guys behind Lo-Fi have dragged out most of the grubby pool tables and given it a British gastropub makeover.

It’s about time Glebe got a taste of the renovated pub movement that’s marching steadily through the streets of Sydney’s inner-inner-city suburbs, and it’s come brandishing the Union Jack and smelling like pulled duck sliders. The Toxteth Hotel has actually been a Glebe Point Road mainstay for over a century, but the guys behind Lo-Fi and The Standard have dragged out most of the grubby pool tables and given it a British gastropub makeover.

The entrance of the bar is still unassuming and still frequented by sorts you’d never catch sipping capairoskas on the balcony of Lo-Fi, but if it’s not a game of pool and a Tooheys Old you’re after then head out to the spacious yard. Sheltered with a glass roof and anchored by an island mini bar, this is where the architectural and culinary refinements are most evident. Young professionals and student types sit around wooden tables taking advantage of still-reasonable tap prices, and, if it’s a Wednesday, using them to wash down four-buck sliders. These come in tempting flavours such as Fried Chicken, Zucchini Fritter and Bacon Butty as well as the aforementioned Pulled Duck, while other weeknights will get you gastropub classics and steaming pots of mussels for no more than a tenner.

Like Lo-Fi, The Toxteth also boasts an art space on the upper level. Ambitiously dubbed The Tate, this small gallery has already had its walls graced with work by street artist Numskull and typography maestro Luca Iunescu, with new openings taking place weekly. There are also five rent-free studio spaces where young artists can harness their talent before putting it on show.

If you’re seeking a decent pub feed after a few schooners at the AB, The Toxteth is your answer. If you like art as much as you like beer, it might even be worth commuting all the way from Darlinghurst for.